105 Cousin, Is The Cherry Sweet?
The cherries were easily damaged. As soon as they were picked, they had to be frozen and sent into the capital at full speed. On the way, the ice had to be changed constantly, so that it wouldn’t melt. Otherwise, the cherries wouldn’t be fresh.
There were only a limited number of them in the capital every year until late March.
Yu Youyao could eat cherries every year, but there weren’t many in the residence. Each person only had about ten cherries at most, and that included her grandmother’s portion.
These cherries were bigger, fresher, and fuller than what she usually ate. They were bright red, and there was even ice at the bottom of the pot. Yu Youyao counted them one by one. After counting more than 30, she was so happy that she was about to go crazy.
She had never eaten so many cherries.
Chun Xiao washed a plate of cherries and brought them over.
After the bright red cherry was dipped in water, it looked beautiful and fresh. Yu Youyao’s mouth was full of sourness, and she was ravenous. She took a big cherry and removed the stem on it. Then, she brought a handkerchief to Zhou Linghuai’s lips, her black eyes shining brightly. “Cousin, eat first.”
Zhou Linghuai didn’t like to eat such sweet and sour food, but the little girl was clearly craving it and kept swallowing her saliva. However, she didn’t think about eating it herself. Instead, she first wanted to bring it to his mouth. Her sparkling eyes looked at him expectantly. He suddenly felt his mouth water, and he couldn’t help but open it.
As soon as the ice-cold cherries entered his mouth, he felt that they were cool and refreshing. With a gentle bite, the juice burst out in his mouth. It was sour and sweet, but more sweet than sour. The cherries that he usually found sour now tasted surprisingly delicious.
Yu Youyao looked at him eagerly and asked, “Cousin, are the cherries delicious? Are they sweet?”
Zhou Linghuai subconsciously smiled and nodded. “It’s delicious and sweet. Eat it yourself. It won’t be fresh after a while.”
“Okay!” Yu Youyao’s jade-like fingertips gently pinched a bright red cherry and placed it into her mouth elegantly. Her delicate red lips were even more beautiful than the cherry.
Zhou Linghuai’s pupils constricted slightly, and his hands on his knees suddenly tightened.
“Cousin, this is the best cherry I’ve ever eaten.” Yu Youyao’s eyes sparkled. She couldn’t help but eat them one by one. She ate more than ten of them in one go before feeling a little satisfied.
Seeing that her cousin was sitting at the side and watching her eat the cherries, she felt that she was too greedy. She was so focused on eating alone that she had actually forgotten about her cousin. Hence, she took a cherry in shame and was about to feed him. “Cousin, eat too!”
Zhou Linghuai looked at the big red cherries in front of him and shook his head. “I don’t really eat sour food. I’ll just try one or two occasionally.” Seeing that Yu Youyao really liked them, he added, “If you like them, I’ll send more over another day. The cherries are too cold. I can’t eat too many at once.”
“Thank you, Cousin!” Yu Youyao smiled and automatically ignored what her cousin had said.
She did not ask where her cousin, who had fallen from grace and was seeking refuge with his relatives, had gotten these cherries from. They had been delivered to her before there were any cherries in the capital.
She had never thought of giving the cherries to her grandmother and the others. After all, she had no idea where her cousin’s cherries came from.
After eating half of the cherries, Yu Youyao stopped eating in case she couldn’t have lunch later.
Chun Xiao iced the remaining half of the cherries and left them for the young lady to eat in the afternoon.
At this moment, Dong Mei led Old Madam Su into the house.
Yu Youyao hurried over.
Old Madam Su handed a bamboo box to her. “Ms. Ye’s throat feels a little better after using the pear paste Eldest Miss gave him. She’s fine now. She ordered this old servant to give Eldest Miss a bamboo brush that I made myself. She instructed Eldest Miss to practice her calligraphy well.”
Yu Youyao, on the other hand, was very surprised. She quickly took the bamboo box with both hands and opened it without hiding anything. Inside was a brush pen with seven wolves and three sheep. The green bamboo tube was carved with detailed bamboo patterns, making it look simple, generous, and elegant.
“Granny Su, thank Ms. Ye for me. Tell her that I like this brush very much.” Yu Youyao did not hide the joy on her face.
Old Madam Su’s smile deepened as Yu Youyao personally sent her out.
Back in the house, Yu Youyao held the brush lovingly. She didn’t know what was so good about this brush, but she liked it a lot. “I didn’t expect Ms. Ye to know how to make a brush.”
Zhou Linghuai said indifferently, “The Ye Family brush of the Linjiang Prefecture is famous throughout the world. Among them, Ms. Ye is the most famous brush maker. It’s difficult to find a single brush.”
He could tell at a glance that this pen had been specially made for Yu Youyao by Ms. Ye. Be it the length, the size, the weight, or the hairs, they were all made according to Yu Youyao’s writing habits. It was very appropriate to use this brush to practice writing. It seemed that Ms. Ye had indeed treated Yu Youyao as her favorite student.
Yu Youyao’s eyes widened. “Ms. Ye is that awesome?”
Zhou Linghuai nodded. “That’s not all. Ms. Ye is good at making brush, but not at making money from them. Every brush she makes is top-notch. Earlier, her reputation had spread to the Empress Dowager, and she had even made brushes for her.”
Yu Youyao’s mouth opened slightly in surprise. When she regained her senses, she said excitedly, “Cousin, let’s go to the study to practice our calligraphy!”
Zhou Linghuai said indulgently, “Let’s go!”
Chun Xiao and Dong Mei looked at each other. Had Young Master and Young Miss forgotten that it was almost time for lunch? Should they go over and remind them?
In the study, Yu Youyao dipped her brush in ink and waved it around like flowing water. She felt that this brush was like an extension of her arm, but it was very handy. She looked down and saw that even the words she had written looked different from usual. She couldn’t help but praise, “Ms. Ye is really amazing!”
Zhou Linghuai suddenly remembered that the young lady often said to him in admiration, “Cousin, you’re really amazing!”
He pursed his lips slightly and changed the topic. “After practicing calligraphy for a while, you can use a slightly softer brush. I have a seven-purple and three-sheep brush here. I’ve used it before. I’ll get Chang An to send it over later. You can try using it.”
“I want the brush that Cousin used.” Yu Youyao happily took her cousin’s arm and said gently, “Thank you, Cousin.”
The corners of Zhou Linghuai’s mouth twitched slightly as he replied with a soft “Mm.”
After lunch, her cousin went to school and Xia Tao returned from Xiaoxiang Pavilion. “The doctor took Ms. Ye’s pulse. She only caught a cold and will be fine after taking a few pills.”
Yu Youyao heaved a sigh of relief. “Send some top-notch medicinal herbs and supplements over and ask Ms. Ye to recuperate well.”
Xia Tao responded and left.
Two days later, Yang Shuwan was still sick and did not seem to be getting better. Nanny Li helped her into An Shou Hall and handed over the key to the residence.
Yang Shuwan looked haggard. “I’m suffering from a migraine. The doctor has instructed that I have to recuperate carefully for a while, and I can’t worry about the matters in the residence anymore. At this time, I’ll have to trouble Nanny Liu to manage the matters in the residence.”